SMART Goal-Setting (and Goal-Getting)

Goals ? Seriously !

Do we really need them at all in our life ?

Isn't that how many many of us feel about the importance/ relevance of goals in our life ? So many of us live with this notion that life is all action and we can do without goals. Aren't there so many of us who are continuously running without any sight of finish line ! And little do we bother about the destination till life stares us in our face and asks us this - What are you working towards ?

We spend so many precious years of our life, doing something(maybe many things) but achieving nothing (or little). We are living our life in "busyness" but without "business" (Related Post: BUSYNESS : The Utopian Paradox). Without goal(s), our life is like a "rocking chair", which when set in motion, keeps moving to and fro, but doesn't reach anywhere. 

 

Is it justified that we expend our life in working, without knowing what and why of it ? Goals are what brings purpose to our lives and satisfaction to our efforts. The sense of achievement and accomplishment guide our growth and makes our lives meaningful. The sooner we realise the importance of goals in our life, the sooner we will make something worth of our lives.

Let me share why all this talk about goals. It's for the simple reason that goal-setting can't be talked about in isolation, without a reference to goal(s) and goal-setting. Whenever we talk about goals, we need to talk about it from 2 perspective which are, 1. as an entity(noun) and 2. as a process(verb). 

Once we have a clarity about our goal(s), it's time to ensure that we establish it in the right manner and this is where the productivity tool comes into the picture. The tool i want to discuss about is perhaps the most popular and powerful tool for the purpose (of proper goal-setting). The tool is SMART and is an acronym that stands for Smart (S), Measurable (M), Attainable (A), Relevant (R) and Timely (T).

History and Background of SMART

George T. Doran, a consultant and a former Director of Corporate Planning for Washington Water Power Company,  is credited with using the SMART term for the first time in 1981, in his paper for the November issue of the Management Review. The paper was titled "There's a SMART way to write management goals and objectives".   

The initial research on the subject of goal-setting was done in 1960s and in 1968, Dr. Edwin A. Locke published his Goal Setting Theory to establish/ study the link between goal-setting and performance in organisations. The five principles of Locke's Goal-Setting Theory are as follow :

• Clarity - the goal should be specific and clear

• Challenge - the goal shouldn't be too easily achievable and should be such to stretch the person to some extent

• Commitment - the goal should have the buy-in of the stakeholders, right from the beginning/ start

• Feedback - regular and consistent feedback ensures the goal is on track

• Task Complexity - breaking the bigger goal into small and easily manageable and achievable pieces

Elements of SMART

Let's delve deep into the 5 elements of the SMART goal-setting tool

• S - Specific : This element deals with clarity about the outcome, objective and actions. 

• M - Measurable : This element deals with measuring the progress towards accomplishment of the established (specific) goal.

• A - Attainable : This element deals with the resources (skill, knowledge, competency, etc.) needed to accomplish the goal. This is where SWOT analysis could help (Related post: SWOT Matrix : Know Yourself First) 

• R - Relevant : This element deals with determining the alignment of the goal with the overall bigger goal or purpose of life.

• T - Timely/ Time-Bound : This element deals with the timelines/ deadlines/ target dates associated with the goal.

How to create SMART goals ?

Making use of few prompts or asking ourselves relevant questions could help us immensely in creating an effective goal. Let's look at the questions and prompts that could help us

• Specific
• Why do i want to achieve this goal ? (This also is the motivation for pursuing the goal) ?
• What is it that i want to accomplish via this goal ? (making the outcome as specific as possible and going in as much detail as possible would help) ?
• Who all are involved (stakeholders) in the goal ? This is where we need to be clear whether the goal can be achieved through individual effort or other's support/ help is also required ?
• Few optional ones could be 
• When is the goal to be focused upon ? This is relevant if "time frame" is a concern
• Where is the goal to be pursued ? This is relevant if "location" is a concern

• Measurable
• What tangible metrics or methods can be used to measure progress ?
• What are the identified milestones for measuring the progress ?
• What information should be measured ?
• Which "data sources" and "information collection methods" can be used ?
• Which of the two measurement methods - qualitative or quantitative would be most effective for the purpose ?

• Attainable 
• What are my strengths ?
• What are my weaknesses ?
• What resources are needed to accomplish the goal ?
• What competency needs to be focused upon ?

•  Relevant
• What is my purpose in life ?
• Which big goal" am i trying to accomplish ?
• How accomplishing this particular goal help towards achieving the "big goal" ?

• Timely
• How much time is available ?
• How much time is needed for each of the identified mini-goals ?

Please note that the above questions are neither mandatory, nor comprehensive. They are just suggestive and you may make use of any other prompts/ questions for the purpose.

Tips for SMART goal-setting

• Spend sufficient time in gaining clarity about your purpose/ passion in life. A small exercise that could help you in this is as follows -  "Sit in a quiet, comfortable place and position, away from distraction and close your eyes. Now, imagine yourself in future, a few years ahead (3 years/ 5 years) and notice yourself. Note how do you see yourself, in terms of work you are doing, environment you are working in, people you are surrounded with. Start refining the details as much as you can." Practising this consistently would sharpen the image and you would clearer about your passion, about what excites you, about what lies in your subconscious. 

• Don't work on too many goals at a time. Identifying 1-2 goals is preferable and feasible

• If the goal is big, break it into easily manageable mini-goals

• Use rationality and not emotion to choose the goal to work on 

• Ensure that the goal you select aligns with your overall purpose/ passion

• Wherever possible, merge mini-goals is they are aimed at achieving the same outcome.

• Try identifying the MIG (Most Important Goals), maybe 1 or 2. The easiest way to identify MIGs is to look for goals that will have the maximum impact on your life which means achieving those goals would build positive momentum in your life and have positive impact on other areas of your life too.

A bit about Goal -Getting

A set goal is only as good as on paper. There's a tendency to fall in "comfort zone" after setting the goal. Relevant, timely ACTIONS is what will enable us to accomplish the the goals. One of the effective strategies (that i ,also, personally use) is Reverse Planning or Backward Goal-Setting . This is where we start with the end-goal in mind and then work our way backwards. 

Another strategy is to work towards milestones, which comprises of achieving mini-goals. This way, we can control getting overwhelmed about the enormity of the goal and can plan to take mini-steps. Celebrating achieving the mini-goals add to the confidence and takes us closer to our main goal. (Related Post: The Art of Achieving Goals) 

Ending Note 

Remember, the process of goal accomplishment has 3 key stages, as mentioned below and as covered by me in this post. Just reiterating and summarising in a sentence the role of each the 3 stages below:

1. Understanding and Awareness about GOALS - This is the "WHY" of the process

2. Identifying and Setting the GOALS - This is the "WHAT" of the process. (I would cover the tool under this section)

3. Achieving the GOALS - This is the "HOW" of the process

In a nutshell, Goal-Getting to Goal-Setting is all about covering the WHY, WHAT and HOW of the Goals  !

Plenty of templates for SMART Goal-Setting at http://templatelab.com/smart-goals/

N.B. - The images used in this post/ article have been sourced from the internet

I am taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter's #MyFriendAlexa

GOALS ensure GROWTH#AtoZChallenge

G is for GOALS

Our Success and growth in life is measured by our accomplishments which are represented by our goals. The forward momentum in life is an outcome of our action towards our goals. GOALS are like the checkpoints in our life which tell us whether we are moving in the direction of our identified purpose. GOALS hold importance in our lives as they act as the roadmaps for us . They are like the destination points in our lives. The absence of GOALS could be related to a rocking chair, which keeps moving but not achieving anything.     

Why GOALS are important ?

• They define purpose in our lives
• They give direction to our efforts
• They help us move forward
• They turn us into achievers
• They help us maintain work-life balance by helping us focus on all spheres of life
• They provide us confidence, raise our self-esteem, turn us into a go-getter.
• They make us dream big (and achieve it too !)

How to achieve GOALS ?

• Set realistic and achievable goals well aligned with our passion and purpose
• Ensure that goals are holistic in nature encompassing all major spheres of our life
• Break goals into short, medium and long-term to make them more achievable and manageable
• Get rid of distractions/ deterrents and build focus towards the goals
• Set Goals that are challenging (but achievable) and within our available resources
• Make a transition from goal-setting to goal-getting as mere planning would not ensure achievement/ completion of the tasks.
• Inculcate the habit of writing down goals. This would activate the RAS (Reticular Activating System) which would ensure that our brain start focusing on the goals.
• Internalising our goals through Creative Imagery. Imagining ourself as having already achieved the goal(s) through all our senses make it appear real to our subconscious which helps in taking positive actions.
• Reinforcing self with positive affirmations whenever we achieve a mini-goal will keep us focused on taking necessary actions for accomplishing major/ BIG goals.

So GET SET and GO for your GOALS !

What's Filling Your Life's Platter - Buffet or A-la-Carte' ?

Do you find yourself doing/ attempting “too much” but still accomplishing “too little” or ”nothing” in life ? 

If it’s so, then its time we review what’s filling our life’s platter !

This is an age of paradox where we get bombarded with a huge amount of information in such a little span of time and where every few days a new distraction gets developed (created) to add to the existing huge list of items/ tasks already vying for our attention (limited). The information overload and the shrinking attention-span negatively impacts our productivity and success and this presents a Catch 22 situation for us !  

The question to ask ourself in such a situation is what we are filling our life’s platter with, buffet or a-la-carte’ ?

Let’s see what each of the entails

·         Buffet – The items/ tasks/ things that life people, situations and circumstances throw at us and we are forced to pick up only from what is laid for us. We definitely have a choice here but only from what is offered to us. The Buffet would comprise of things that we could do, it may also be things that we first think of or things to get us through the day and life ultimately. The Buffet menu may not lead us to where we want to reach but only to where we get “led”. The options here maybe unlimited but are the ones that “limits us”.

·         A-la-carte’ – This presents us with the power of choice and control both. Here we select things that matter most to us, things we should do, things that prepare us for life to meet  myriad challenges that life may throw at us. The A-la-carte’s “leads” us to our chosen destination and set us on path of success. The options here maybe limited but that’s exactly what prompts us to make a judicious choice and provides us with “unlimited” opportunities to create our best possible life. 

So, choice is ours about which type we want to be – the Buffet type where we get stuck with unwanted trivials that may lead us somewhere but not where we want to go or the A-la-carte’ type focusing on what we want in life and “leading” ourself on the path of growth and accomplishment.

So, choose wisely !

The Art of Achieving Goals !

GOALS are an integral part of our lives and play a catalyst role in our growth and development. By keeping us focused and directed,  they enable us to move forward towards the objectives set by us.

Nothing more can reiterate the importance of goals in our lives better than the fact that to achieve/ accomplish each of us have at some point or the other set goals for ourselves in different spheres of our life (Work, Home, Relationships, Career, etc.). But here lies the irony – very often the goals  established by us to move forward in life never get achieved. There’s something that ails achieving of goals ! It’s  “the inability to make a transition from goal-setting to goal-getting” .

 Mere planning for something would not ensure achieving the attached outcomes unless there is an execution or action. Likewise in case of goals also, there are steps that would help make a smooth transition from goal-setting to goal-getting. Some of the relevant steps are :

·         Getting  rid of the PLACEBO effect – Placebo plays its part in the goal process. They play an enabling role during the process of setting challenging goals but thereafter Placebo effect could only debilitate goal accomplishment process. It may put us into a false state of achievement which may restrict us from taking appropriate action towards our goals. The sooner we get rid of Placebo effect, the earlier we would start on the process of achieving goals.   

·         Setting Goals that are BIG in terms of

o   being holistic in nature, encompassing all the spheres of our life.

o    challenging but achievable. The goals should make us stretch ourselves and push us to limits but within the range of our available resources.

·         Setting up mini-goals to ensure our progress towards your key goal(s).

·         Aligning Goals with the mission and purpose of our lives to ensure that every action and achievement of ours contributes to our identified purpose for living.

·         Inculcating the habit of writing down goals. This would activate the RAS (Reticular Activating System) which would ensure that our brain start focusing on the goals.

·         Internalising our goals through Creative Imagery. Imagining ourself as having already achieved the goal(s) through all our senses make it appear real to our subconscious which helps in taking positive actions.

·         Reinforcing self with positive affirmations whenever we achieve a mini-goal keep us focused on taking necessary actions for accomplishing major/ BIG goals.